You and I
by Oroko
Summary: A gathering of unrelated drabbles and short oneshots focusing on crack pairings, unlikely friendships, and other unusual relationships. New stories will be added at my whim.
1. A Flower

Flowers were something of a rarity at Duel Academia. Asuka imagined that it would be difficult for them to grow on such a remote island, what with an establishment like the academy in their way. Naturally, she was rather surprised to find an entire bed of them hidden behind the Blue dorm.

She tended to avoid acting girly. After all, to make it in a school where the ratio of male to female students was three to one, she knew she was going to have to stand out to make it to the top. She couldn't waste her time on things like what she would wear, or fixing her makeup, or love letters from boys. Or flowers. However partial to their beauty she had always been, she never showed it. But standing amidst so many as she was, it was difficult not to stare, at the very least.

She had to admit…they were breathtaking.

"If you look closely, no two of them are the same."  
She blinked, looking tentatively over her shoulder at Jim. He smiled at her, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"They're all different kinds, from all over the world," he explained. "I collect seeds on my travels, and whenever I have to bed down for a while, I plant a few. It's a silly thing I do."

Asuka looked at him and back at the flower bed. "They're pretty," she muttered.

"I like to see what kinds fare well in different places," he said. "Usually, I only get a dozen or so. I was lucky, this time. Nearly all of them sprouted here. A _lively place._" He finished with a misplaced English phrase, as was a habit of his.

Asuka cracked a smile, placing a hand on her hip. "You're an odd guy, Jim Crocodile Cook."

He laughed heartily. "So I've been told," he said, then knelt down at the edge of his flower bed, studied his options, and plucked a choice stem. He stood with a white, bell-shaped flower, streaked with brushstrokes of orange and red, which he aptly tucked behind her ear, smiling.

"For you, _Tomorrow Girl_," he said.

Asuka watched him walk away.


	2. A Turnabout

He sank into the water slowly, allowing the soothing warmth to heal his worn nerves. He needed some time to himself. Not that he hadn't had plenty of it lately, what with Juudai being so occupied with his_ new friend_. Shou glowered into the water. Juudai never had time for him anymore. Not since _he _had shown up.

Johan Anderson was nothing but a nuisance.

"May I join you?"

He jumped, startled by the voice. He looked up at the newcomer, but the steam from the tub had fogged his glasses beyond use. Even so, he knew that voice...

"You're..."

Johan smiled, untying the knot that held his towel around his waist. "It's Shou, isn't it?" he asked. "You're one of Juudai's friends. I don't think I've had a chance to get to know you yet. Can I get in with you?"

Shou blinked, then looked disdainfully away. "I don't care," he mumbled, blushing slightly. Johan just kept smiling.

"You and Juudai are pretty close, right?"

Shou tossed him a sideways glance. "Yeah, we are," Shou answered bluntly. "We met at the beginning of our first year. We've been _best friends_ ever since." He strained the words to stress his important rank. _If you want my place, you're gonna have to earn it, New Kid. Nobody thinks they can just stroll in and take Aniki away from me._

"I thought so," said Johan, his smile unwavering. "You have that nickname for him, after all. What was it? Ani-ue?"

"Aniki," Shou corrected sharply. He turned to face the wall of the tub and folded his arms over the edge. A snicker from behind caused him to twitch.

"What's funny?"

"What? Oh, nothing!" said Johan. "Sorry, I just thought it was cute, that's all." Shou glared, but Johan didn't notice.

"So you're his 'little brother,' then?"

"_Yes_."

"Then...you two aren't...you know."

Shou blinked, turning to meet Johan's eyes. "Aren't what?"

Johan scratched his cheek. "Well, I was asking if he's your boyfriend."

Shou stared blankly for a moment, until a brilliant flush spread across his face. He at first wanted to blurt out "no!" but restrained himself; after all, that would mark Juudai as available, and he couldn't just _hand_ him over to this...this _new kid_.

"I don't think that's any of your business," he replied as nonchalantly as possible, turning away from him again. Johan shrugged.

"I'm just asking."

"Why do you care?"

There was a pause. Shou snorted inwardly. He knew the answer, anyway.

"I'm just...checking for availability."

Shou scowled at the floor. _Knew it._

He felt a finger rest against his shoulder, and he froze. It slowly traced its way up his neck, then down his back, drawing little circles, causing him to tremble. Hot breath puffed against his cheek from behind him.

An indescribable fear gripped Shou without mercy.

"Well?" said Johan, softer now. His voice was closer than before; _much_ closer. "Are you taken?"


	3. A Son

DD sometimes hated himself for adopting Ed. He had successfully averted suspicion, yes, and he was living the comfortable life of a champion he had always longed for because of it. After years of scraping up survival from the bottom, he was finally reigning at the top. His plan was, for the most part, a complete success. But there was a flaw: he had a son.

Ed was usually a good boy. He was quiet and studious and hard-working, and he never asked much from DD. Even when shedding tears over his father, he never bothered him with his sorrows. He was more mature than a child his age needed to be. But Ed's presence alone was enough to make him think of _it_—the sin he had committed to live the life he was living…the blood that stained his hands. Because of that horrible child, he couldn't forget.

But even that was not the worst of it.

For ten years, he had lived by his side, had watched him grow, had watched him transform from a helpless child into a powerful duelist. He knew his secrets, his weaknesses, his passions, his tastes. He had been there long enough to memorize his speech patterns, his habits, his gestures. He knew everything there was to know about Ed Phoenix.

Yet, somehow, it was not until the flames engulfed his body and the ship began to sink that he realized that maybe—just _maybe_—he had loved him.

At that moment, he gave himself up to hell.


	4. A Mirror

A bell tinkled, waking Osamu from his thoughts. He straightened up and smiled at the customer. He was a tall young man, probably a little older than himself, with glasses and a gentle-looking face, looking absently around the store.

"Welcome," Osamu greeted. "Can I help you?"

The customer looked at him.

"I'm after a new Duel Disk," he said. "One of the smaller models that's light enough for a child to hold." He demonstrated with his hands. Osamu smiled knowingly.

"Right here," he said, fishing around under the cashier. He plopped a medium-sized cardboard box decorated with bright colors onto the countertop.

"So, let me guess," he said, resting a hand atop the box. "Your son's first Disk?"

The customer laughed. "Something like that, but I don't have a son," he told him. "He's a friend of mine."

"A friend?"

"He just started getting into Duel Monsters, but he's already very energetic about it. I wanted to surprise him with the Disk."

"Heh…I can relate. He sounds just like the boy I baby-sit sometimes."

"An aspiring duelist?"

"Oh, definitely. Great kid…I could hang out with him all day. His parents are never around, the poor thing."

The customer just smiled. "So, how much?" he asked, patting the Duel Disk.

"Fifteen thousand yen."

He fished his wallet out of his pocket.

"You're a new face here," he commented idly, thumbing through the wallet for his credit card. "Did Sachiko finally start hiring?"

"Oh, no, I'm just standing in for her," said Osamu. "But you know…I could swear I've seen you somewhere. Have we met before?"

The man shrugged his shoulders. "I hear that a lot…I think I just have a common face."

"That so…?" Osamu mumbled, tearing the receipt from the register.

"Anyway, I ought to run," said the customer, tucking the disk under his arm. "My sister's going to be furious if she finds out that I left…I'm not supposed to be up and about just yet."

Osamu nodded, smiling good naturedly. He muttered a "have a nice day" and watched his back as he walked towards the door. Before the man was able to leave, it clicked.

"I remember now!" he called after him. The customer stopped and glanced back at him.

"I've seen you on TV! You duel in the Pro Leagues!" said Osamu. "You're Hibiki Kouyou, aren't you?"

Kouyou laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with his free arm.

"Looks like I've been found out," he confessed. Osamu laughed.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Hibiki-san," he said. "But you're in a hurry, so I won't hold you up anymore…maybe we'll meet again sometime?"

Kouyou nodded. "I certainly hope so."


End file.
